Bridge crane



Jan. 2, 1945; E. w. TAYLOR 2,366,574

BRIDGE CRANE Filed Sept. 10, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

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Jan. 2, 1945. E. w. TAYLOR 2,

BRIDGE CRANE Filed Sept. 10, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 war m M J arne Jan.2, 1945. WITAYLOR 2,366,574

BRIDGE CRANE Filed Sept. 10, 1945 4 Shets-Sheet s I INVENTOR. 3

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Jan. 2, 1945. V V E. w. TAYLOR 2,366,574

BRIDGE CRANE Filed Sept. 10, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 2, 1945 j IUNITEDSTATE s, PATENT OFFICE remen CRANE:Ernest W. l'laylor, Bay City, Mich, assignor to v Industrial BrownhoistCorporation, Bay City, M

; Application September 10, 1943, Serial No. 501,879 r items.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a cranecomprising a structural bridge having an adjustable boom hingedlysecured thereto, said boom when in lowered position,

forming a horizontal extension ofthe bridge so that the bridge andboomcanbe utilized as a track, with a trolley and grab bucket arrangementoperable thereon for transferring coal,ore,

and similar fragmentary materialsinto or out of a boat, railroad car, orother receptacle; said boom beingrquickly and easily swungup so that itcanbe used as a conventional crane boomfor handling a magnet, lorgeneral cargo, such as machinery, steel, and similar materials anditems.

Another object is to design a mobile handling structure on which thecrane is mounted includshowing the machine" using a grab buck et forhandling friable materials, the broken lines showing the boom raised foruse as a boom crane with the grab bucketstowed in the material bin, andin another position the bucket is shown at one end of the bridge track.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view. r

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevationalview illustrating the equalizingtracks, the boom etc. being omitted. r

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the rope sys tem used when boom israised and the machine used for handling general cargo. N

Fig." 5 is also a diagrammatic view illustrating theclosing rope systemwhen the machine is used for handling bulk cargo. Fig. 6 is a similarview illustrating the shell ropes.

ig. '7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the trolley travel ropes.Fig. 8 is afragmentary plan View of the boom and trolley, parts beingbrokenaway to more clearly show the arrangement. V Fig: 9 is atransversesectional view through the boom and trolley taken on the line9-9 of Fig. 8. i i

The. present invention is of the same general character shown in PatentNd-2,226,361 granted mg bins into which the unloaded material is dumpedpreparatory to transfer to the transfe cars spotted in position toreceive it; M

A further object still is to design a machine having transfer bins fortransfer of bulk materials tocars which bins are of a size and shape tosupportthe grab bucket when the machine is used as a conventional cranefor loadingor unloading general cargo. i With the above and otherobjects in view, the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of ;parts,hereinafter more fully described, illustratedinthe accompanying draw: ings, and more particularly pointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in theform, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, withoutdeparting from the spirit, or sacrificing anyof the advantagesof theinvention. r In thedrawings: r 4

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of my bridge crane showing itmountedon a pier witha cargo December .24, 1940, and in which a fullrevolving superstructure is employed, in thatit can be utilizedforhandlin fragmentary materials as well as general cargo.

the accompanying drawingsin which I have shownfthe preferred embodimentof my invention, the machine is showninstalled on a pier where cargovessels may be tied, this pier being of the type handling general cargo,either coal, ore; etc. or bulk materials such as machinery, steels,crates, and other large, long, or bulky items.

The most efii'cient and practical machine for handling heavy machinery,fabricated steel and similar items is a boom type machine, because theboom can be swung over the'side of the sup-' porting base and there areno legs or structural supports to interfere with'the work as it islifted and swung to load or unload. It is also generally recognized thatthe most economical and fastest type of machine forhandling bulk'carg'ois a rope systemtrolley, which utilized as a horizontally disposedextension of v the bridge which'spans the pier, the bridge and V I boomforming a track on which a conventional bucket isoperatedfortransferringthe material from a vessel to bins, and thence to cars,or from cars to vessels, etc.

' with a single combination machine, with the consequent saving ininitial cost, time and labor, and maintenance, it being merely necessaryto attach the grab bucket to the hoisting rope or ropes 'whenever it isnecessary to handle bulk materials, and to place the bucket on the binand use a cargo hook when handling general cargo.

Referring now to the drawings in which is shown a pier P provided withspaced apart tracks ascas'm i being anchored to the opposite end of thetrolley frame, this arrangement provides that rotation of the drum 38 inone direction draws the trolley towards the bridge, and in the oppositedirection will draw it towards the outer end of the boom.

The hoisting unit is mounted in the housing H and includes winding drums45 and 45, these drums being connected to motorslnot shown), as usual, arope 41 being anchored to and wound on the drum 45, thence leading upand over a sheave 48 provided on the mast, thence down and around sheave49 on the boom, and thence around sheave 50 provided on the trolley,thence the rope leads 12 to accommodate the wheels iiiof equalizingtrucks M, which support the handlin machine C, said machine comprising astructural bridge l5, supported on legs I! and I! respectively. A

hopper I8 is mounted on and forms a part of the leg I] and this hopperis of suitablecapacity to suit the work required.

The hopper l8 can be of any desired shape,

and is equipped with a pivoted'discharge chute.

IQ, for discharging the material into transfer cars as usual, said carsoperating on standard gauge railroad tracks 2|, or the materials can. bedumped into bins B or truck hoppers K at any point beneath the bridge15, or transferred from this area to vessel or cars as desired.

The power plant and handling mechanism is mounted in a housing Hprovided on the bridge,

and an operators cab S is mounted on'the extension 22 so that a clearview of operations may be had, the operator being stationed therein tocontrol the loading, dumping, and handling of the mechanism and cargo ingeneral. 7

A mast 23 projects above the housing H, and sheaves 24 ar mountedthereon to accommodate the various ropes as will be hereinafterdescribed, said mast being suitably braced by structural members 25 asusual.

A structural boom 26 is hin edly connected to chine is handling generalcargo, this boom. is

swung up to position as indicated in broken lines in Fig. l ofthedrawings, and in this position the boom is operable in exactly thesame, manner as the boom on a conventional crane.

When the machine is handling coal, ore, or other fragmentary material,the boom is dis,- posed horizontally as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1,and is supported in this position by means of a boom hoist rope 28,which rope is wound on the drum 29 provided on the. housing H, said ropeleading thence over the sheave 24, thence around the sheave 30 providingadjacent the outer end of the boom, and thence being dead-ended to theupper end of the mast at 32. I

A trolley T is mounted for travel on tracks 33 which form a, part of theboom and bridge respectively, the structure being suitably bracedtosupport a. predetermined load, said trolley com prising a frame 34provided with. spaced apart. axles 35 and 36 respectively, and on whichthe track engaging wheels 31 are journaled.

A suitable racking unit controls the trolley travel, and includes a drum38 drivingly connected to a motor (not shown), oppositely wound cables39 and 40 are anchored to this drum 38, the cable 3.9. leading oversheave II and thence being anchored to one end of the trolley frame. Thecable 40 is wound in the opposite direction. leading under idler sheave42 towards the outer endofihe boom,thence around sheave 4.3,, and thencearound the bucket sheave 5| provided on the bucket R, thence up and overthe sheave 52 and thence being dead-ended at 54.

The bucket closing rope system is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings,the rope 55 being wound on drum 46, thence leading down and aroundsheaves 5B and 51, thence over sheave 58 provided on the outer end ofthe boom, and thence over sheave 59, thence down and around sheaves 50and GI, thence up and over sheave 62, and thence being dead-ended at 63as usual. v r

' When the machine is used as a boom crane for handling, machinery,crates, steel, and heavy bulky objects, the bucket is stowed on the binl8 and as indicated in brokenlines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thetrolley proper being secured on the bridge and is held in any approvedmanner.

The boom is mounted for swinging in exactly the same manner as is theboom on a conventional crane, the rope 64 being wound on the drum 65,thence leading up and over sheave. 66, thence out and over sheave 61provided on the end of the boom, thence leadingdown and around sheave 68to which. the, cargo hook 69 is attached in the usual manner, thence therope leads up and is dead-ended at I0, and it will beclearly obviousthat the hook can be raised or lowered by controlling the direction ofthe drum 65.

In practiceQwith the boom in position as shown in solid, lines in.- Fig.1 of the drawings, the drum 38 is driven to traverse the trolley T onthe trolley track and spot it over the hatch in the vessel V. The drum45 is then. actuated to pay out the rope 41 and lower the bucket,v ontothe material to be transferred, and when the bucket is loaded, the drum"Hi is actuated to windthe rope 55 and close the bucket, andthe drums 45and 45 are again actuated to hoist the bucket to position directlybeneath the boom, as illustrated in solid lines in Fig.1 of thedrawings. The racking drum 38 is now actuated to pay out on the rope 39and wind in on the rope 40 to traverse the trolley, with the bucketsuspended therefrom, toward the bridge end of the machine and spot itover the receiving hopper I8, bin B, or truck hopper K as desired. Thedrum 45 is next released so that the rope is unwound and the bucket willopen and discharge the contents into the bin, and when the chute l9isdown, the material will flow directly to railroad cars, and if thechute is raised as indicatedin broken lines in Fig. 1, thematerial willbe retained in the bin. This completes the cycle of operation which issuccessively repeated until the. transfer of material is accomplished.

When it is desired to use the machine for hans dlinggeneral cargo, the.bucket R is stowed on the bin ill, with the trolley T located and lockedon the bridge l5. The machine is now ready for conversion to operationas. a boom crane; The hoist drum 29 is first actuated to wind the boomhoist cable 2'! andelevate. theboom to a desired angle of inclination,as generally-shown'in broken lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, afterwhich the auxiliary drum 65 is actuated to wind or pay out the rope 64to raiseor lower the cargo hook so that heavy objects, crates ormachinery can be tical, and substantial cargo handling machine.

What I claim is: a

1. A systemof the characterdescribed comprising a mobile carriagemounted fortravel on a pier or supporting structure,said carriagecomprising abridge with a track thereon, aboo-m pivotally connectedthereto and adapted in its horizontal position to serve as a trackextension of the bridge track for traversing a trolley and bucket forthe material being handled, and in elevated position to serve as a boomcrane for handling a variety of materials, means on the bridge toaccommodate the bucket when the machine is being used as a boom crane,and means for elevating said boom. l i i 2. A material handling systemof the class deforming an extension of said bridge, tracks on said boomand bridge for traversinga trolley and bucket for the material, saidboom when in elevated position serving as boom crane for handling avariety of materials, and means for elevating said boom. i

3. A system of the character described for handling materials of variouskinds comprising, in

, rope associated with said boom for handling general'cargo. l

combination, a mobile bridge mounted for travel a on a supportingstructure and provided with a trolley track thereon, a trolley, a cranemounted on said bridge, a boom pivotally connected to said bridge andadapted when in horizontal position,

to form a continuation of said trolley track, ma-

terial bins provided on the bridge, tracks and transfer cars disposedbetween the wheeled bridge and the edge of the pier, said cars beingadapted .to receive the material from said bins, and means for traveringsaid trolley on said tracks.

4. A system of the character described for handling material of variousclassifications compris ing, in combination, a mobile bridge mounted forlongitudinal travel on a pier, said bridge being provided with trolleytracks thereon, a crane mounted on said bridge and including a trackboom pivotally and adjustably connected to one end of the bridge,atrolley, tracks and transfer cars interposed between said bridge and theone edge of the pier, means for traversing said trolley on said bridgeand boom, and an independent 5 A combination bridge crane of the classdescribed for handling materials of various classifications comprising,in combination, a mobile scribed comprising a mobile carriage mountedfor travel on a pier and including a bridge, a boom bridge provided withspaced apart supporting 1egs 'mounted for travel on a supportingstructure,

tracks on said bridge, a boom hingedly connected to one end of saidbridge and provided with tracks forming an extension of the bridgetracks when the boom is in horizontal position, a wheeled trolley, meansfor traversing said trolley on said tracks, a material receiving binmounted on one of 1 said legs and adapted to receive the material beingtransferred, said, bin accommodating the bucket when the boom is raisedfor handling general cargo.

ERNEST W. TAYLQR.

